After the Fall
by Moonlitbramble
Summary: season 9 au/su. So, the angels fell, but Cas isn't human, he just loses his wings & becomes half human. Sam also finishes the 3rd trial, closing the gates of hell, but is just in a crappy condition after. This fic is basically counting down 24 hours of Dean and Cas stuck together in the bunker with a sleeping Sam and huge crushes on each other & oblivious to the other's feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**HI GUYS THIS IS MY FIRST FANFIC I HOPE ALL OF YOU LIKE IT NOT SURE IF I DID IT RIGHT OR IF THERE IS A RIGHT WAY IDK IM BABBLING SORRY ENJOY THE STORY! :))**

 _ **CHAPTER 1**_

Its 7:30 in the morning and dean wakes up for a morning cup of coffee and some breakfast. Dean walks into the kitchen to find it empty of coffee or of any breakfast of sort. Then dean remembers. Sam finished the third trial. Sam almost died to close the gates of Hell. The feat is still taking its toll on Sam, almost a week later. Sam was usually up at 6 in the morning to jog in the cool Kansas breeze then get back around 6:45 to make coffee and breakfast for dean. Sam sleeps in now, doesn't jog at all anymore. Can barely walk to the kitchen without getting out of breath and a stitch in his side.

.. sooo no coffee. Dean opens the fridge and find leftovers from the diner he and Cas went to for dinner last night. _Jackpot_ dean thinks as he unwraps the BLT. He walks towards the library where Cas is probably up. Cas can sleep, be told him, he just finds it unnecessary since he technically doesn't have to. He's still an angel, but he doesn't have his wings. He hasn't since the fall. Cas is usually moping around the bunker, he obviously misses them. He really looks like hell, probably feels like purgatory, though. Dean feels bad for him, sometimes he wants to just walk up to the guy and hug him. Tell him that everything's going to be okay, alright. He just wants him to feel... something, if not better. But... there's always something going on, something more important. More pressing to bother with. But, the thought of Cas so sad all the time makes dean cringe.

The guy deserves to be happy. Actually, after everything that castiel has done, for Sam... Dean.. Humanity, even. Cas deserves the world, at least. And Dean so wishes he could give him that. He just doesn't know how.

As Dean climbs the steps to the library he can hear Cas sigh and the sound of a crackled old page turning. Probably from some old book from, like, 5000 years ago. _God, Cas can be such a nerd._ Dean thinks, then smiles. _It suits him._

"Hey Cas" said Dean as he walked into the library of the bunker. Cas barely acknowledged him since his nose was buried deep in a giant old book that was practically falling apart. _Knew it. Totally called it._ Dean thinks to himself.

"Hi." Cas mumbles, turning to the next page.

"That for a case? Sam never mentioned something new for us to check out." Deans last words were muffled as he bit into an incredibly greasy BLT. Dean licks his fingers, eyeing Cas. Since Sam can't do much of anything else, he insisted on helping find cases for Dean and Cas. As if closing the gates of Hell wasn't enough..

"No," Cas finally looks up from the book and looks at Dean. "I just thoroughly enjoy reading about Camelot. It's a actually a very accurate depiction of what passed as hierarchy in the mediaeval times."

Dean smiles, he actually knows a thing or two about Camelot. "Oh really? You know Guinevere is _totally_ cheating on King Arthur with Lancelot.." Of course only from the remake Disney movie that Sam insisted they watched when there was nothing else on cable. Good enough, though. Cas stares at dean as if he's not entirely sure if he's joking or if Guinevere actually commits adultery. Dean smiles to himself. Cas can be such a dork sometimes. _A loveable, smoking hot dork..._

"Hey, what are you guys chatting about?" Sam says as he sits down. Dean thanks god he walked in then, and he shakes his mind of the thought and any other thoughts that it could have been leading up to. _Where did that even come from?_

 _Hold on.. where did Sam come from? Shouldn't he be in pain right now? He's usually asleep this time of day._

Sam grimaces at Dean when he sees what he's eating. "Really, Dean? Do you know how many calories there are in that?"

Dean ignores him. This time. "Dude! Holy shit, you're alive! h-how are you awake, how are you here? You usually can't even make it to the washroom and back without fainting."

"Whatever, jerk. I'm fine now anyways. and I feel... normal. Like I did before the trials started. That's a good thing, right?"

Cas, realizing he's not going to be able to finish reading in peace puts down his book and Looks at Sam in awe.

"I'm not entirely sure it is Sam. Have you heard of hospital patients being admitted in critical condition and in a matter of days suddenly feel better?"

"Yeah, Cas, and most of them die a matter of hours afterwards. But that's only most, some of them actually DO get better."

"Well I for one don't want you taking that chance." Dean says. "Get back to bed, sleep."

"But _I'm fine_!" Sam says and groans as Dean gets up and starts pulling him up as well.

"You are not. Well, you may be now, but you ain't gonna be later when you're whining like a 12 year old girl with cramps." Dean grunts under the weight of his bear sized brother. "Dude, you have got to lay off the power shakes, you weigh like 500 pounds.. ugh"

"I DO NOT!" Sam stands up and practically throws dean off him by it.

Cas puts the book he was reading back on the shelf behind him and walks up to Dean as he and Sam continue to bicker.

"Dean." Dean doesn't respond, still engulfed in telling Sam that you in fact _can_ gain weight from eating healthy, while Sam debates that what Dean says may be true, but constant exercise makes up for it. So Cas steps closer.

"Dean." Cas repeats, a little louder. Still, nada.

"BUT YOU SLEEP ALL DAY, WHAT DO YOU DO FUCKING SLEEP JUMPING JACKS?" Dean cries in exasperation. "NOT THAT ANYONE WOULD NOTICE... _have you **heard** you snoring?" _

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Sam gestures wildly with his hands. No one can tell what exactly he's trying to convey.. maybe it's just to exaggerate his point. Whatever it... is.

" _Dean._ " Castiel is speaking in a gravely voice, and is now standing, facing Dean, to his immediate right. " _Dean."_

 _"What?_ What is it Cas, what?" Dean turns towards him, immediately taking a step back because if he didn't... he could smell Cas. And, well, he smelled pretty damn good. And Dean doesn't want to think about how Cas smells like. So he steps back. And stares into those beautiful blue eyes of his, that sparkle, all the time no matter the lighting. And the twitch of his mouth, the way he is so oblivious to everything, and how adorable he looks when he _—_

"Dean?" Cas calls him.

"Dean, you good?" Sam is the one calling him now.

"Yeah. w-wha, i'm... yeah?" Dean stutters, brought back to reality.

"I was just going to ask if you wanted me to throw out your greasy sandwich.." Cas looks at him innocently. "While fighting with Sam, it looked as though you were going to throw it somewhere.. I don't really feel like cleaning it.."

"Huh? Oh, oh yeah sure Cas, go ahead, sorry." Dean gives Cas his BLT and in the process tries to conspicuously brush his short hair with his hand so his forearm blocks his deeply reddening face.

Sam sighs, and after some convincing, he finally caves and leaves to rest for at least until tomorrow morning.

Because, a lot can happen in a 24 hours. Quite a lot.


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER 2**_

 _ **23 hours**_

Sam's sleeping through the day. You would think the bunker would be insanely quiet. But, no. Sam's snoring echoes throughout the bunker. If you closed your eyes, your first thought would be 'why am I in some neat, picket fence neighbourhood?' because all you hear is: **HEeee wHAOoo WHEeeo BREOooa GRUGheu**. Sounds like a frickin' tractor lawnmower.

"OH MY GOD SHUT THE HELL UP!" Dean calls in annoyance. Once Sam's asleep, there's barely anything that can wake him. So it don't matter if Dean yells as loud as he can. Which barely compares to the deafening noise of Sam's nasal problems or whatever. Because sure enough: **WHBeoou HWEeeea HGUuu.** The torture persists.

"What is it? What happened? Is someone here? Are you okay, Dean?" Cas sweeps in from the kitchen, concern etching his face. When he sees Dean safe in front of the fireplace reading the new issue of 'Busty Asian Beauties' his features calm.

"I'm fine Cas. I just... God how are you not contemplating killing Sammy in his sleep? Are you— can you just... tune it out, or something?" Dean asks, sitting up in his chair and putting his dirty magazine down.

"What are you talking about?" Cas asks sitting down on the loveseat across from Dean.

"Sam's snoring, do you not hear it?"

"I can hear it, it just doesn't bother me. It bother's you? Is that what you were yelling about?"

"Yeah it's what I was yelling about, Cas. God, he is so loud I can barely stand it."

"At least he's resting. If he does get worse, he'll be stronger to fight to get better than if he exerts his power beforehand." Cas says, leaning forward in his seat. Cas considers moving beside Dean on the couch. He decides against it. Dean will just tell him to move back. After losing his wings.. he can't seem to find a reason to keep going on. Except Dean. Dean rejecting him, Cas doesn't even want to think about what he'll do, think, say afterwards. Cas is so engulfed in thinking about Dean, and what he'd do, say to him if he told Dean what he truly feels about him is deeper than just family, just friends.

Cas doesn't even notice that Dean is staring at his chapped lips and licking his own as he nods, partially listening to what Cas said.

"Hey, Cas," Dean's voice pulls Cas out of his thoughts. Dean gets up from the couch and folds up his magazine.

"Dean, where are you going?" Cas asks, disappointment etching his features as Dean gets up to leave.

"To sleep, if I can. And after that.. we're going to look for a case, and if Sam's still feeling good tomorrow, we can all go." Dean rubs his eyes with his fists, tired and slightly disoriented. "Sound good?"

"Yes, Dean." Cas could've just said 'Yes'. He didn't want to though. He liked saying Deans name, it felt good when he did, right. Dean liked it when Cas said his name, too. He liked hearing it in Cas' voice, watching the way his lips moved as he said it. He couldn't help but want to move forwards instead of backwards, towards Cas. Closer.

 _No, no. NO. Stop it. Stop it. Cas is your friend. Cas is your_ best _friend. You're practically family. Just walk away, Dean. Avoid his blue, beautiful eyes, turn around, and walk away._ Dean thinks. This is getting out of hand.

Dean awkwardly claps his hands together, still holding his magazine, slowly backing away.

"Ok. I'm leaving now. Goodnight— I-I mean, um, i'm going to nap now.. so, um, bye..."

Dean stumbles over his feet and curses under his breath, grumbling.

Cas stays in the loveseat, watching Dean finally leave, and contemplates what he should do next.

He decides to finally finish the Camelot book he was reading. Maybe now, with both Winchester's asleep, he can actually finish the book. Or is that too much to assume? Probably is.

 _ **22 Hours**_

"Nope. Nope. Nope. NOT HAPPENING!" Dean bursts out of his room with a blue and white striped towel in his arms.

Cas walks out of his own room, head leaning to one side, surprise and annoyance written across his forehead.

"What happened Dean? What's _not_ happening?" Cas asks just before they almost collide. Dean stops just before, but Castiel still puts his hands in front of him for protection. Which doesn't help in the case of collision, but he does end up with his hands firmly planted on his hunter's chest. They both look at Cas' hands. He should probably take his hands off. Around now. Like, right now. But he can't seem to. And he doesn't have to, because Dean takes a step back and Cas' hands fall back to his sides.

They both blush, and look away from each other so they don't see each other's blushes. Both of them embarrassed, but unaware of the other's embarrassment. Dean clears his throat and looks up at Castiel.

"I can't sleep. That's what's not happening. You wanna know what's also not happening?" This was rhetorical, obviously, but Cas is... Well, Cas is Cas.

"The apocalypse isn't happening. You and sam stopped tha—"

"WORLD PEACE! World peace isn't happening, Cas, you wanna know why? Because the world heard Sam snoring after saving the world, and became so insane it went homicidal! Am I not right?"

"Actually you are not right. That's not why we don't have World Peace, we don't have—"

"Ok, Cas, I have got to teach you what rhetorical means." Cas' face is blank and Dean sighs.

"I'm going to shower, don't get into trouble, or burn the bunker down or anything." Dean moves past Cas in the hallway and swings the towel over his shoulder. Cas turns around and finds his eyes locked on Dean's ass. His eyes only move away when Dean turns the corner towards the bathroom. Cas lets out a deep breath, one he didn't know he was holding 'till he let it out.

Oh Father, what is this man doing to me? Cas wonders as he walks back into his room, imagining Dean's ass in ways that make him feel so dirty he blushes to himself.

He sits on his bed and hears the sound of water running. Just barely, but Sam's snoring has quieted a small bit, so it's still audible. He closes his eyes and groans quietly to himself, just wishing he could stop thinking about the hot naked hunter just a few rooms away.


End file.
